Important recommendations when to remove gladioli after winter storage
Gladioli delight gardeners with their blooms until late autumn; they stand in bouquets for a long time and do not fade. There are no difficulties in growing these beautiful flowers.
However, it is important to take into account all the rules and subtleties of planting and caring for gladioli in the spring. We will tell you in the article when to take out gladioli after winter storage.
Content
When should I take out the bulbs?
For the winter, gladioli bulbs are wrapped in hard paper or newspaper, placed in a plastic bag and placed in a cool place: refrigerator or cellar. Planting material must be reviewed periodically to prevent the death of the plant.
If gladioli are placed in too cold soil, the plants will not take root well or even die. And overheated soil will not provide the gladiolus roots with enough moisture, which will negatively affect the development of the flower.
So that gladioli have time to please gardeners with their flowering, they must be planted in open ground no later than mid-June.
If you follow the planting rules, the plant will begin to delight you with lush flowering in August. It is important to consider that large bulbs will germinate much faster than small tubers.
If the bulbs are taken out for germination later than expected, then during flowering buds will appear on the peduncles, but they will not have enough time to bloom.
When storing bulbs in winter, it is extremely necessary to observe the temperature regime.. A cool cellar that does not protect plants from frost will not work. Tubers can dry out from low temperatures and become unusable.
Too high a temperature in the room where flowers are stored can cause arrowheads to appear, which is unacceptable in winter.
What affects the deadline?
In different regions of Russia, the first warmth comes at different times. Therefore, the period when it is necessary to remove the bulbs from a cool place for planting will also differ.
Features for different regions of the Russian Federation
Let's consider the time frame:
In the Moscow region and Central Russia
In this region, warm spring comes in the second half of May. To make plants happy with flowering at the end of summer or early autumn, they must be planted in the ground before the first ten days of June (until the 10th). The bulbs should be removed from a cool place at the end of April, beginning of May.
In Siberia
Winter in this region is quite long. The earth warms up to the desired temperature only by mid-June. Gladioli in Siberia need to be obtained for germination in the second half of May. If the spring weather is not pleasant and it is very cold outside, then the procedure is postponed for a week or two.
In the Urals
Weather conditions in the Urals are almost the same as in Siberia. Warmth may only arrive in this region a couple of days earlier.For germination from a cool place bulbs are harvested in mid-May. Plants are planted in the ground in the second half of June.
How to germinate correctly?
Many gardeners sprout gladiolus bulbs at home. Immediately after removing the plants from a cool place, they are cleaned of dry scales and placed in prepared containers.
These can be cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, plastic containers, etc.
Under no circumstances should the bulbs be exposed to direct sunlight.. This can negatively affect gladioli: they will begin to germinate quickly, and the sprouts will stretch out and become weak.
During germination, the bulbs must be kept in a warm and dry room. They do not need to be watered, just place a damp cloth under them. Water can cause rot.
If gladioli are stored in a room with high humidity, the bulbs will quickly develop roots, which will be damaged when the plant is planted in the ground. Gladioli will grow slowly, and their development process will noticeably deteriorate.
Large bulbs with two or more sprouts can be divided. To do this, take a knife, which must be disinfected in advance, and cut the tuber. On each cut part there should be a sprout and part of the bottom. It is better to perform such manipulations 10-12 days before planting in the flowerbed. The incision sites also need to be treated. Crushed activated carbon or regular brilliant green is suitable for this. Only the dried parts of the cut onion are planted in the ground.
If you neglect the germination stage of gladiolus bulbs and plant them in the ground immediately after a cool room, then the plant will not delight you with abundant, lush flowering. The buds of such flowers will not grow large.
In order for gladioli to grow tall and strong, the bulbs need to be fed after winter storage. The nutrients entering the tubers help strengthen the immune system of gladioli and ensure the full development of the plant. The first feeding is carried out at the germination stage.
To prepare the nutritional composition you will need:
- 10 grams of boric acid;
- 20 grams of magnesium;
- 20 grams of zinc;
- 20 grams of ammonium nitrate;
- 1 gram of potassium permanganate.
All components are mixed in 10 liters of water. A liter of water is added to the resulting composition, in which 20 grams of copper sulfate are mixed in advance. The bulbs are soaked in the prepared fertilizer for 10-12 hours. The container for the procedure must be metal or plastic.
Useful tips
To grow beautiful and lush gladioli, Gardeners should adhere to the following tips:
- For germination, planting material with a diameter of 3-4 cm is ideal. The bottom of the bulbs should be 4-7 mm. It is better not to use tubers that are too soft, dry or darkened. They are difficult to prepare for planting; they may not germinate.
- It is important to remove all the dry scales that cover the bulb. They interfere with the germination of young shoots.
- It is necessary to carefully select the variety of gladioli. It is better to purchase flowers based on the region of residence, focusing on the local climate. Heat-loving varieties will not grow in colder climates.
- To obtain abundant and lush flowering when storing bulbs, you need to adhere to the correct temperature regime - 5-10 degrees Celsius.Do not overheat the planting material or expose it to hypothermia.
- During the flowering of gladioli, you need to trim off the wilted buds. Such manipulations will prolong the flowering time of the rest.
Video on the topic of the article
The video will tell you when to take out gladioli bulbs, how to clean and process them:
Conclusion
Gladioli are easy to care for. If you follow the storage rules and timely prepare the bulbs for planting in open ground, the plant will delight you with its lush and abundant flowering.
